Follow Us!

Antec Lanboy Air Review

Closer Look

The front of the case has three drive covers and two 120mm fan assemblies. Even with everything in place from the factory, you can see about 12 more empty screw holes for when we start moving things around. That will be on the next page, so don't lose interest yet. Though hard to see in this picture, the two front 120mm fans have adjustable speed with a small knob in the bottom right of the fan assembly - just like the Antec DF-85 does.

The left side of the case makes it look nearly transparent, as most of the surfaces of the Lanboy Air are mesh. The two 120mm fans are configured to be in the middle out of the box, though as might be becoming more apparent, they certainly don't have to stay there. Towards the front of the side panel is a large door that flips open to access the hard drive area, and the large panel comes off as one piece with no hinging by removing the six thumb screws.

The rear of the case shows another 120mm fan, external water cooling loop grommets, an included (though probably useless) motherboard I/O plate, and the power supply housing. Underneath the rear 120mm fan is a two-speed fan control, also just like the DF-85. There is another spot next to this one that is empty, and will allow the user to purchase an identical fan which can be placed at the top of the case, and the speed control will fit perfectly in this area. It is even labeled "top". The right side panel of this case is just like the left side, though it does not have fans already attached to them. The front area of this panel also is a hinged door like the other side.

The bottom of the Lanboy Air is heavily perforated and allows for great airflow. It is not constructed of tiny circular holes like the rest of the case, but it is a metal sheet with a square pattern of holes stamped into it. This will help airflow and also help a bottom mounted power supply "breath" better. There are six rubber feet that help prevent the case from sliding around on hard floors, as well as decrease the amount of sound and vibrations transferred to the floor. The top of the case is a highly glossy plastic material with more holes cut into it for two more 120mm fans. These two spots do not have included fans, so I guess Antec felt like including five was enough to give the user a good start. There is a metallic inlay of the Antec logo on the very front portion that adds a nice accent to the look of the case. There are also two built-in, folding handles that assist the user in carrying their computer around, most likely to LAN parties as the name of the case implies!

The front I/O ports of the Lanboy Air include three USB ports (2x USB 2.0, 1x USB3.0), as well as standard audio ports - headphone and microphone. The reset button is to the left of these ports, and the power button to the right. The power and activity LEDs are positioned to the right of the reset button, and glow blue. All of the hardware required to use this case to its full potential is included in the toolbox located at the very bottom of the case. A toolbox has usually been included with the Antec Lanboy series, as it can be a lifesaver if something goes wrong and minor surgeries are needed while the computer is away from home. Even though I am calling it a toolbox, I did not find any tools in it. More appropriately, it could be called a screw box, but I didn't like the way that sounded. Inside this box are all of the typical screws, standoffs, and some oddball screws and rubber grommets for attaching more fans and for mounting 2.5" hard drives to the case.

I mentioned the individual fan controllers earlier, but did not provide a closer look at them. As I stated, the rear fan already has a two speed selector in place, with room for the same selector if a top fan is installed that has that feature. The front fans are individually controlled by knobs, which do not dim or increase the brightness of the built in LEDs. Many fan controllers adjust the power to the entire fan circuit, including the LEDs, but these on the Antec Lanboy Air only control the voltage going to the motor, and not the LEDs.

With the exterior of the case explored, it's now time to get into the nitty-gritty of the review. The next page will be an in depth, complete demonstration of the case's capabilities, features, and modularity.